SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

Last week, Comedy Central cancelled both Detroiters and Another Period. It was, frankly, a shame - both shows, particularly Detroiters, were truly weird, funny, and creative in ways the best Comedy Central shows are. As Comedy Central cancels these two series and also looks to the end of Broad City next year, it leaves me wondering: what does the future look like for the comedy-focused cable network? For the past five years or so, the network has enjoyed something of a creative renaissance, with shows like Broad City, Review, Nathan for You, Inside Amy Schumer, Another Period and Detroiters giving the network a lot of excellent, creative series and allowing it a reputation for being a home for daring and experimental comedy. Now, though, most of those shows have either been cancelled (Review, Nathan for You, Detroiters, Another Period), will be ending soon (Broad City) or on a seemingly never-ending hiatus (Inside Amy Schumer).

So what's left? Well, the network still has Corporate, which is in a similar vein as the network's past shows, but other than that...it certainly seems as if it may be moving away from the constant stream of high-quality originals it once had. It's unfortunate, especially for a show like Detroiters, cut down in its prime. There is currently an online movement to get another network to pick up Detroiters - and while it seems like a bit of a long shot for a small scale cult hit, I'm hoping that zany comedy like Detroiters can find a home somewhere.




The sixteenth season of The Voice will premiere on Monday, February 25, 2019 from 8:00-10:00pm ET/PT with new coach John Legend joining Kelly, Blake and Adam on the panel. It will be followed on Monday nights by The Enemy Within, the new drama starring Jennifer Carpenter and Morris Chestnut at 10:00pm ET/PT. Both will air through May 20. The Voice will also air on Tuesdays from 8:00–9:00pm ET/PT through March 5. On February 26, it will be followed by the third season premiere of World of Dance from 9:00–11:00pm ET/PT. The Voice will return to Tuesday nights when live episodes begin on April 23 and will air from 8:00–9:00pm ET/PT through the rest of the season thru May 21.

World of Dance moves to its normal time period Sunday, March 3 where it will air from 8:00–10:00pm ET/PT followed by the second season of Good Girls at 10:00pm ET/PT through May 12. The second season of comedy A.P. Bio will premiere on Thursday, March 7 at 8:30pm ET/PT where it will air through May 16. Following This Is Us on Tuesday, March 12, NBC will premiere the new drama The Village at 10:00pm ET/PT. It will air in that time period following the remaining three episodes of This Is Us and then will move to 9:00PM ET/PT from April 2-May 14 followed by New Amsterdam which is at 10:00pm ET/PT.

Comedy Central's January 15 The Office marathon delivered big gains in multiple key demographics, outperformed time-period benchmarks and similar holiday marathons, and reached the network's highest primetime rating since September, 27 2017. Adults 18-49 and the key Men 18-34 rating increased 71% and 23%, respectively, against total-day year-ago numbers. The same demographics each gained 22% versus the prior four-week total-day average. Average total viewers increased 62% against the year-ago total-day mark, and Women 18-49 and 18-34 gained 174% and 132% against the year-ago total-day mark. Women 18-49 and 18-34 increased 36% and 46% respectively versus the prior four-week total-day average. Taking place on Martin Luther King Jr Day, the marathon outperformed Memorial Day by 25%, July 4 by 22%, Labor Day by 59%, and Christmas by 10%.

Building on this momentum, Comedy Central premiered its new, scripted series, Corporate, on January 17 with back-to-back episodes that began at 10:00 p.m., along with the season premieres of Drunk History and Another Period on January 23.

Hello, Citizens! Amazon Studios announced it has greenlit a second season of the half-hour superhero comedy series The Tick. The creator of the series Ben Edlund (Firefly, Supernatural, Gotham) will return along with leads Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy) as The Tick and Griffin Newman (Search Party) as Arthur, with additional casting to be announced. From Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television, the second season of The Tick, comprising 10 episodes, will begin production in 2018 and is expected to premiere in 2019 exclusively on Prime Video in over 200 countries exclusively for Prime members.

Neat! As previously announced, Amazon will premiere the highly anticipated second half of The Tick's first season on February 23, 2018, featuring six all-new episodes of the acclaimed show. In a world where superheroes have been real for decades, Arthur (Newman), an accountant with mental health issues and zero powers, comes to suspect his city is owned by a global super-villain, The Terror (Jackie Earle Haley) who has been long thought dead. As Arthur struggles to uncover the conspiracy he falls in league with a strange blue superhero - The Tick (Serafinowicz). They launch into an adventure brimming with crazed arch-villains, blood-soaked vigilantes, and superhuman freakery.

Greedy. Corrupt. New money. Hungry for fame. Sound familiar? Newport, RI's first family, the Bellacourts, are back with the third season premiere of Another Period on Tuesday, January 23 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT! The third season of the turn-of-the-century historical and satirical scripted series, co-created by and starring Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome, directed by Jeremy Konner and executive produced by Ben Stiller's Red Hour, follows the fifth season premiere of Drunk History. Prior to the new season, fans can indulge themselves like a Bellacourt by binging on the first two seasons of Another Period, available now on cc.com and the Comedy Central App.

Now in its third season, Another Period tells the incredible story of the Bellacourt sisters, Lillian and Beatrice (played by Leggero and Lindhome), who are defined by their family's wealth and care only about becoming super famous - which is a lot harder in 1902. The series follows the insanely decadent and outrageous life of the Bellacourt coterie which, before others claimed their own fame, were the one American family who epitomized all that was spoiled, shameless and stupid - with more servants than relatives and days filled with money, sex, drugs... and more money.

In the upcoming season, The Bellacourts' fight for suffrage in congress, become some of America's first female Olympic athletes, deal with an opioid addiction and campaign to make America great again, for the first time. Starring Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome, Another Period also Stars Michael Ian Black, Paget Brewster, Beth Dover, Brett Gelman, Alice Hunter, Brian Huskey, Jason Ritter, David Wain and Armen Weitzman. Season Three also Features Donna Lynne Champlin, Jon Daly, Nancy Friedrich, Moshe Kasher, Kate Micucci, Missi Pyle, Will Sasso and Betsy Sodaro.

Monsters... .and demon hunters... and a disgraced New York socialite... oh my! Moving forward on a new scripted comedy project, Pop has ordered a half-hour pilot, The Demons of Dorian Gunn, executive produced by actress, author and producer Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones) and Tony Hernandez and Lilly Burns (Younger, Broad City, Search Party) of JAX Media. Pilot production for The Demons of Dorian Gunn kicks off in January 2018 in New York City, a backdrop which plays a major role in the show.

Written by Evan Greenspoon and Brandon Scott Jones (Upright Citizens Brigade), The Demons of Dorian Gunn follows disgraced New York socialite Dorian Gunn, who discovers he's descended from a long line of demon hunters and is forced to abandon his life of leisure to protect humanity from monsters as they emerge from the gates of hell.

Actress Beth Howland, who was best known for her role as Vera Gorman in Alice, has died. She died of lung cancer on December 31, 2015, in Santa Monica, California. As per her request, her death was not reported to the media until May 24. Ms. Howland was 74.

Howland's career began on stage on Broadway in 1959 with her role as Lady Beth in the Carol Burnett musical Once Upon a Mattress. She originated the role of Amy in the original Broadway cast of Stephen Sondheim's Company, in which she introduced the patter song Getting Married Today. Some of her other roles included the musicals Bye Bye Birdie, High Spirits, Drat! The Cat! and Darling of the Day.

Some of her early television guest appearances included Mary Tyler Moore (2 episodes), Love, American Style, Cannon, The Rookies, Bronk and Little House on the Prairie. She had uncredited roles in the films Li'l Abner (1958) and Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1972).

Howland starred as Vera Louise Gorman (later Novak) in Alice. Vera was a neurotic, scatterbrained waitress at Mel's Diner in Phoenix. She was accident prone. Her scene with the exploding straws in the pilot episode was used in the opening credits. The shy Vera married policeman Elliot Novak (Charles Levin) in the eighth season.

The popular series ran for nine seasons on CBS from 1976-1985. It also starred Linda Lavin, Vic Tayback, Philip McKeon, Polly Holliday (1976-1980), Diane Ladd (1980-1981) and Celia Weston (1981-1985). Howland received four Golden Globe Award nominations for the role in 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983.

Some of her other television guest appearances included Eight Is Enough, The Love Boat (6 episodes), Comedy Factory, You Can't Take It With You, Murder She, Wrote, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Batman Beyond (voice), The Tick and As Told by Ginger.

She starred in television movies, including The Ted Bessell Show, You Can't Take It With You, The Wild Wacky Wonderful World of Winter and Agatha Christie's: A Caribbean Mystery. She appeared in the 1988 ABC Afterschool Special: Terrible Things My Mother Told Me.

Survivors include her husband, actor Charles Kimbrough of Murphy Brown fame, and her daughter, Holly Rowland, from her first marriage to actor Michael J. Pollard.

Ms. Howland was very funny as Vera. We wish someone would air Alice. It would also be great to have the remaining five seasons available on DVD. We thank her for the many laughs she brought us. She will be deeply missed.

Share your memories on our Alice message board. View photos in our galleries.

Listen up peasants! The original ballers are back and here to stay. Comedy Central's turn-of-the-century historical and satirical scripted series, Another Period, has been renewed for a third season. The ten-episode second season, co-created by and starring Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome, directed by Jeremy Konner and executive produced by Ben Stiller's Red Hour, debuts on Wednesday, June 15 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Prior to season two's premiere, fans can indulge themselves as the Bellacourts' would by binging on the entire first season of Another Period, available on the Comedy Central App and cc.com starting June 8. Another Period tells the incredible story of the Bellacourt sisters, Lillian and Beatrice (played by Leggero and Lindhome), who are defined by their family's wealth and care only about becoming super famous - which is a lot harder in 1902 - and follows the insanely decadent and outrageous life of the Bellacourt coterie. Before others claimed their fame, they were the one American family who epitomized all that was spoiled, shameless and stupid - with more servants than relatives and days filled with money, sex, drugs... and more money.

During the second season, the Bellacourts and the poor souls under their servitude return for a whole new season full of excess and debauchery with Lillian and Beatrice seeking advice on how to rebrand, attempting to divorce their gay husbands, pursuing new male suitors, fighting infectious diseases and, of course, still trying to become famous. Servants from downstairs head upstairs, sex is attempted to be had for pleasure, political scandals play out, and illustrious characters from our nation's past - such as Albert Einstein, Teddy and Eleanor Roosevelt and Harriet Tubman - pay visit to Newport's first family. On Tuesday, June 14, the day before the Season Two linear premiere, Comedy Central will provide fans the opportunity to experience, firsthand, a dinner with the Bellacourts via a 360º virtual reality video available through Comedy Central's Facebook page the and Another Period Facebook page.

Season Two episodes of Another Period will be available the same day they premiere via cc.com and the Comedy Central app and will be available next day on iTunes, Amazon Video, VUDU, Google Play, Microsoft Movies & TV, and Verizon Multi-Screen.

Alert the butlers, it's time to crack open another bottle of cocaine wine as the Bellacourts have reason to celebrate! Comedy Central has renewed the turn-of-the-century historical and satirical scripted series Another Period for a second season. Executive produced by co-stars Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome, director Jeremy Konner and Red Hour's Ben Stiller, Debbie Liebling, Stuart Cornfeld and Mike Rosenstein, the second season of Another Period will premiere ten episodes in 2016. Currently airing new episodes on Tuesday nights at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, full episodes from the first season of Another Period have been seen by over 9 million total viewers with an additional 4.6 million multiplatform clip views. Before others claimed their fame, there was one American family that stood for all that was spoiled, shameless and stupid. Meet the Bellacourts – Newport, RI's First Family of the Gilded Age. They have tons of money, live in a big-ass mansion and employ a whole team of Fonzworth Bentleys.

Lauren Ash, Michael Ian Black, Paget Brewster, Beth Dover,Brett Gelman, Christina Hendricks, Brian Huskey, David Koechner, Jason Ritter, David Wain and Armen Weitzman appear alongside Leggero and Lindhome. Guest stars for the series' first season include Matt Besser, Jack Black, Jon Daly, John Ennis, Kate Flannery, Rich Fulcher, Tim Heidecker, Moshe Kasher, Lauren Lapkus, Thomas Lennon, Kate Micucci, Chris Parnell, Lou Diamond Phillips, Missi Pyle, Will Sasso, Betsy Sodaro, Shoshannah Stern, Ben Stiller, Stephen Tobolowsky and Brian White.

IFC has renewed its original comedy series Documentary Now! for two additional seasons. This is the first time the comedy network has picked up additional seasons of a series prior to its network debut. IFC also announced the addition of a surprise seventh episode to season one, up from the initial order of six episodes, which premieres on IFC this Thursday, August 20 at 10 pm ET/PT. Documentary Now! is created, written by and executive produced by the powerhouse comedic trio Fred Armisen, Bill Hader and Seth Meyers. Documentary Now! parodies some of the world’s best-known documentaries. Starring Armisen and Hader, each episode is shot in a different style of documentary filmmaking and honors some of the most important stories that didn't actually happen. Paying homage to everyone from the Maysles to Errol Morris the episodes range in topic from an intimate portrait of socialite mother-daughter feral animal hoarders to a behind-the-scenes look at the world's first documentary, and much more. The finale episode, titled "Gentle & Soft: The Story of the Blue Jean Committee," chronicles a soft rock Chicago band's rise to fame with their hit album "Catalina Breeze" which will now air as a two-part episode.

Dame Helen Mirren (The Queen, The Audience) serves as host of the series, lending the gravitas that documentaries of this caliber so rightly deserve. The show also features appearances by Jack Black (The D Train, Tenacious D), John Slattery (Mad Men, Wet Hot American Summer), iconic music manager Irving Azoff and SNL's Aidy Bryant, Mike O'Brien, Paula Pell, and Tim Robinson.